UT hopes for strong finish against Oregon State after recent struggles.

Updated 3:12 am, Monday, December 3, 2012

Texas Longhorns: Joe Bergeron, David Ash and their teammates are expected to bring a quick sellout for the Alamo Bowl. UT also played in the 2006 Alamo Bowl.

Texas Longhorns: Joe Bergeron, David Ash and their teammates are expected to bring a quick sellout for the Alamo Bowl. UT also played in the 2006 Alamo Bowl.

Photo: Edward A. Ornelas, Express-News

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Oregon State: Sean Mannion (left), Markus Wheaton and the rest of the Beavers, ranked 13th, are coming off a resurgent season that saw them finish at 9-3. The Alamo Bowl will be played Dec. 29.

Oregon State: Sean Mannion (left), Markus Wheaton and the rest of the Beavers, ranked 13th, are coming off a resurgent season that saw them finish at 9-3. The Alamo Bowl will be played Dec. 29.

Photo: Greg Wahl-Stephens, Associated Press

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The parades, the titles, the trophies, the glory, and of course, the football. Bowls are the cherry on top of the college football season. Here's a look at the matchups and winners in the 2012-13 College Football Bowl season. All game times are Eastern.

PHOTO: Texas players D.J. Grant (18), Matthew Zapata (40) and Jeremy Hills (05) join other players on the podium to celebrate their victory over Oregon State in the Valero Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Dec. 29, 2012. Texas won, 31-27.

The parades, the titles, the trophies, the glory, and of course, the football. Bowls are the cherry on top of the college football season. Here's a look at the matchups and winners in the 2012-13 College

PHOTO: Fresno State safety Phillip Thomas (bottom) and linebacker Tristan Okpalaugo (top) watch as SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert (11) breaks a tackle and runs in for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Hawaii Bowl.

PHOTO: Arkansas State linebacker Nathan Herrold (40) reaches out to intercept a pass in the end zone intended for Kent State tight end Tim Erjavec (42) in the second quarter of the GoDaddy.com Bowl. less

Knowing his voice was being amplified via speakerphone to a room full of ecstatic Valero Alamo Bowl organizers, Texas coach Mack Brown spoke into his end of the line Sunday and said what his audience wanted to hear.

“I think it worked out perfect for us,” Brown said.

For the 2012 Longhorns, that hasn't exactly been a common claim.

But after a regular season stained by a blowout loss to Oklahoma and two more ugly closing defeats, UT hopes a return to San Antonio can at least be the beginning of a new stab at perfection.

In their first Alamo Bowl appearance since 2006, the 23rd-ranked Longhorns (8-4) will play No. 13 Oregon State (9-3) on Dec. 29 at the Alamodome.

Although the Beavers enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Pac-12, they actually pose a less daunting postseason threat than the one UT began Sunday thinking it might face. The Longhorns had been in line to play in the Cotton Bowl against a top-10 opponent from the Southeastern Conference.

But when Oklahoma was squeezed out of the Bowl Championship Series by upstart Northern Illinois, the Sooners took UT's place in the Cotton Bowl, where they will play Texas A&M.

This is Riley's 12th season at Oregon State, and after a two-year bowl drought, he has a chance to lead the Beavers to a 10th victory for just the second time in his tenure.

“Over the past few years, we've been very average,” Riley said. “We got a lot better this year.”

The Longhorns had hoped to display similar improvement, but it didn't happen. Instead, they posted the worst defensive numbers in the history of their program, yielding 412 yards per game. They lost four conference games for the third year in a row, their first such streak since the 1930s. And they finished a third consecutive regular season with no clear starter at quarterback.

David Ash started the first 11 games of the season and ranks 20th nationally in passing efficiency. But he struggled badly in losses to OU and TCU, and Case McCoy started Saturday's finale at Kansas State.

McCoy passed for 314 yards but also threw two interceptions in UT's 42-24 loss. Mack Brown has not yet announced a starter for the bowl game.

One player who should definitely have a big role against the Beavers is Malcolm Brown, who sat out five games with a sprained ankle, reaggravated the injury against Iowa State, then missed another game before returning against KSU.

Against the Wildcats, he rushed for 40 yards, caught six passes for 43 yards and scored two touchdowns, showing some flashes of the form that made him one of the nation's top recruits at Steele. Brown said he was excited to contribute again but called the night “disappointing” because of the defeat.

“It's not about me or anything,” the sophomore tailback said. “Nothing was solely just on me.”

Injury update: Mack Brown said he wasn't yet sure on the bowl status of running back Joe Bergeron, who injured his shoulder on his only carry Saturday. Defensive end Alex Okafor (ankle) and receiver Marquise Goodwin (finger) played after being listed as questionable. Ash (ribs) didn't play against KSU but was available. All three should be fine for the Alamo Bowl.